Seattle gets no eBay bids for high-tech toilets

Seattle's self-cleaning toilets have attracted even fewer online bidders than they did tourists during their four-year stint in city parks.

The eBay auction of the five high-tech commodes — starting bid $89,000 — closed around 3:30 p.m. Saturday with zero bids, although some listings tallied more than 20,000 visitors.

Andy Ryan, spokesman for Seattle Public Utilities, said the city will extend the auction.

Fleets and Facilities Department spokesman Pat Miller said Friday the city was confident there would be last-minute bids and didn't have a backup strategy for selling the toilets.

The fancy lavatories, with automatic doors and water jets, were supposed to serve tourists and transients at Victor Steinbrueck, Hing Hay, Occidental and Waterfront parks and at 1801 Broadway.

But the bathrooms became known as hide-outs for drug use, dealing and prostitution. After spending $5 million, officials this spring decided to end the 10-year contract early and posted the toilets on eBay on July 16.

The toilets will be locked and fenced off Aug. 1.

The city had hoped to sell the toilets to a broker or another city, and several cities had shown some interest, Miller said.

The online ads boast of the toilets' high-tech cleaning features, including a retracting toilet seat and jet-spray system, but don't hide the graffiti they also attracted.

The auction was handled by Bidadoo Auctions, the company contracted to sell the city's surplus equipment.

Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com